Page 13 of Coming Home Country
“Touché.” I wiped at the moisture that had gathered in the corner of my eye. “At least you know your boys got good genes.”
I gazed down at the infant, whose eyes had drifted shut. Before I thought better of it, I reached out to touch the downy-soft black hair at the crown of his head.
“Beautiful,” I mused.
“They’re all little angels when they’re sleeping,” Harper countered wryly. A soft rush of air slipped past her lips. “But even though there are chaotic days when I want to tear my hair out, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Each one of them is a blessing.”
We fell into companionable silence after that, but I couldn’t tear my eyes away from baby Grady.
My life was so very different from the one I had imagined for myself as a girl. Going to college had started out as a place to kill time until my future was ready to begin. I never wanted a career; I wanted to stay home and raise a house full of children. Now, I worked upwards of seventy hours a week, and even if, by some miracle, I found the time to squeeze a baby into my busy schedule, I wasn’t sure I wanted one with the partner I’d chosen.
Shouldn’t that tell you something?
As hard as I tried, I couldn’t shake that thought. What if I was making a huge mistake?
Chapter 4
Bex
“What’reyoudoingouthere so early, sweetheart?” My mother’s voice was quiet as she stepped onto the front porch, where I sat wrapped in a blanket, my hands curled around a cup of coffee as the sun began to rise.
“Couldn’t sleep,” I murmured.
She hummed. “Pain that bad?”
My shoulder lifted in a non-committal shrug. The truth was that I’d been unable to shut off my brain. Coming face-to-face with my past had me questioning everything.
My mama dropped onto the rocking chair beside me, and one of the questions plaguing my mind rose to the surface.
“Why didn’t you ever move on after Daddy died?”
A soft sniffle from the woman who’d given me life had me wishing I could take those words back, but it was too late. And my heart needed to hear the answer.
“Well.” She cleared her throat. “I suppose it’s because your father was my one great love.”
“You don’t think we can have more than one?” I desperately needed to believe we could because my great love was no longer an option.
“Maybe.” Mama’s head tilted side to side as she considered it. “For some people. But not for me.”
“Aren’t you lonely here all by yourself?” I pressed.
“Sure, sometimes. I keep busy with my activities at church and by being active in the community, which helps. I know some widows seek out companionship, but after experiencing an all-consuming love, it just felt like that would have been settling. It wouldn’t have truly made me happy, and it wouldn’t have been fair to a potential partner either.”
God, it was like she spoke directly to the doubts surrounding my own love life.
Maybe this place and seeing Tucker again was why my head was all messed up. That had to be it. Once Aaron got here, I’d remember why I was marrying him, and everything would be fine. Then, after Aspen and Mac tied the knot, we’d go home to Chicago, and I would never have to set foot in this town again.
Once Sunday service concluded, I hustled my butt to the church’s meeting room, where we’d set up Aspen’s bridal shower brunch. Since the broken wrist had knocked me out of bonfire prep, I felt the need to be extra helpful this morning, going out of my way to ensure everything was perfect for this morning’s wedding event.
With Mac being wealthy, the couple felt uncomfortable accepting gifts from the community, so this was more of a showerof well-wishes. Which worked out well since the wedding was set to be an intimate affair, and this allowed those not on the guest list the chance to celebrate.
A knock came at the back door, and I breathed a sigh of relief that the catering had made it in time.
Throwing it wide, I returned to my prep work without glancing back. “You can set up on those long tables over by the windows.”
“How’s the wrist this morning?”
I froze, and my eyes slammed shut. Not food delivery.
